2020 Waste Reduction Week - Plastic Thursday - Partnered with City of Charlottetown

Do you ever notice the pile of trash that is left over when you're done with your take-out meal? Our "throw-away" lifestyle has created tons of waste from single-use products that we use for just a few minutes. The environmental impacts on the planet from all the single-use items are enormous.

For example: the average useful life of a "to-go" paper coffee cup, with the lid, the sleeve, the stir stick, and even the tray to hold it is 12 minutes! American consumers use 130 billion paper cups each year for coffee. That disposable coffee-cup habit uses 27 billion gallons of water, consumes 25 million trees, and generates 31 billion pounds of CO2.

In Canada, nearly 90 percent of plastics end up in landfills, incinerators, lakes, parks and oceans.

We can do better! We are determined to keep fighting for a cleaner and healthier world, and that’s why we are joining Plastics Thursday of the Waste Reduction Week, and we encourage you to do it with us! Plastics Thursday’s goal is to avoid as many plastic items in your life and replace them with a sustainable alternative. 

And don’t worry! While we know the challenge will be a completely different experience in these extra challenging times of COVID-19, we want to guide you through it with solutions and ideas.

EASY TIPS TO SAY NO TO SINGLE-USE PLASTIC IN TIMES OF COVID-19

REUSABLE BOTTLES ON-THE-GO

Carrying your own reusable bottle – be it of steel, glass or hard plastic – is entirely safe, as long as you regularly wash it with water and soap. It’s even better that it is washed in a dishwasher! High temperature and prolonged washing are beneficial when it comes to killing the virus.

SAY NO TO PLASTIC STRAWS

Many bars and cafes put plastic straws in every drink. Straws can become stuck in the airways of animals, or if mistaken for food and ingested can be fatal. Reduce plastic waste and protect wildlife by requesting your drink without a plastic straw, and bringing your own reusable alternative.

If possible, request your cold drink is made without a single-use plastic straw. It’s important that you state this before your drink is made; if the straw is already in there when it’s brought to you, it’ll likely become plastic waste.

For those who prefer straws, you can bring your own sustainable alternatives. There are stainless steel, bamboo, and glass options available on the market, and even foldable reusable straws that you can easily keep in your purse or pocket.

FOOD STORAGE

There are many fantastic alternatives to plastic cling wrap that you can use to reduce plastic pollution. Storing and packing food in reusable containers is a great start. You can also purchase reusable silicone bowl toppers to cover food in bowls, pots and pans, or even get crafty with an upside down plate, reusable cloth cover or wax wrap.

Wax wraps and containers make a great, reusable alternative for wrapping sandwiches. You can also buy reusable washable cloth bags to store and pack food in, as a better option to zip lock bags.

DECORATIONS

Plastics, including balloons and glitter, are easily blown down drains, into rivers and our ocean where they remain in the environment forever, even ‘biodegradable’ latex balloons.

With a little bit of creativity, you can easily plan a party that’s free from balloons and other harmful single-use plastics. Popular decorations that can be reused time and time again, include tissue pom poms, lanterns, fresh flowers, leaves, shells, or any other piece of nature. Many people find it easy and fun to make decorations from old fabric and scrap paper, too. 

Your zero waste, plastic-free event is a great way to inspire others to celebrate without balloons and other harmful decorations. 

THE UNAVOIDABLE: GLOVES AND FACE MASKS

This pandemic has increased demand for single-use plastic items, especially medical waste, from personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks and gloves, and single-use plastics.

It is essential to protect public health and to stop the spread of the COVID-19 urgently. However, we should take responsibility for the items that we use: do not throw used gloves and face masks in the street, as they pose a threat to the environment and a health hazard to people who might get in contact with them. These items cannot generally be safely reused or recycled, so make sure to throw them to the general waste. 

If you do not work in the health sector, it is safe to use a reusable face mask and wash it regularly at a high temperature, to prevent the spread of the virus.

Good luck and Happy Plastics Thursday!

Partnered with City of Charlottetown